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Amazon Video’s Halloween Movie Recommendations: Trick-or-Treat!
Hey, Ricochet! I’m in the mood to watch a Halloween movie. Anyone want to watch one with me? You do? Yay! Let’s go over to Amazon’s Prime Video page and pick one out. I hear they have a lot of movies to choose from.
Whoa! Look at all those movies! How in the world are we going to find the Halloween ones? Wait a minute; I think I found them! If you scroll down, you’ll find a row called “Halloween Collection.” I bet we can find something to watch there. Don’t know why they didn’t put it closer to the top of the page, given the month we’re in – but oh well. We found it. Let’s see what they recommend.
Hmmm. There’s a bunch of different categories in this collection. I don’t like really gory movies, so why don’t we check out the section called “Kids and Family Halloween Classics.” That looks like it could be fun. Aw, come on. You’ll find something there you’ll like; I’m sure. Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with Skittles and candy corn and chocolate bars on top? Yay!
OK, here we are – “Kids and Family Halloween Classics.” Now, what are our choices? Oooh, looks like we’ve got some fun ones here – Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, Hotel Transylvania. Not too bad. Oh, my goodness! Look over there. They have It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! I loved that when I was a kid! And The Nightmare Before Christmas is over there. That’s not a bad choice, either. I’m glad we decided to check this section out.
Is that all they have? No, no – there’s more. Over here we have …. wait a minute. What’s Gnomeo and Juliet doing here? Talking garden gnomes may be a bit spooky, but Halloween-type spooky? Really? What’s that over there? Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp? Well, that is one creepy-looking Mad Hatter, and the Red Queen was pretty creepy looking too. I guess I can see why they added it to the collection. But Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Why is it here and not Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? The Oompa Loompas weren’t scary. They were weird looking, but they weren’t scary-weird. So why did they put that one in the collection?
And what’s that over there? A Pinkaperfect Birthday? In the Halloween section? What in the world happens at that birthday party? Oh, I see. The birthday girl gets a present that allows her to turn everything pink. Well, that is a scary idea; so maybe it belongs here after all. But I’m pretty sure the Thanksgiving movie collection (Amazon has one of those; right?) wants A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving back. I don’t care if Thanksgiving dinners with friends and family can be hellish nightmares at times; that one’s been misfiled for sure. And what are all of these Christmas movies doing here? How the Grinch Stole Christmas? A Christmas Story? Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws? Mickey’s Magical Christmas? Elf? (Ok, maybe that one should stay)
(yelling) Hey, Amazon! Over here! Look, I know Christmas is trying to take over the entire calendar. That’s pretty obvious since it sneaks its decorations and music into the stores earlier and earlier each year. But you don’t have to help it out. I mean, Christmas movies in your Halloween collection? Really? What are you thinking? Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. If anyone can fight off that Swiper-like, creature, it’s you! Don’t give in to its greedy plan, Amazon! Be brave and bold! Take the sword out of that stone and force the greedy creature back into the month it belongs in! (And yes, that movie is listed as part of the Halloween collection too.) You can do it! I know you can!
(hears the sound of someone running away and turns around) Hey, Ricochet! Where are you going? We still need to pick a movie! Come back! Please? I still have candy, so come back! Please? Pretty please? Pretty, pretty, pretty please?
Published in Group Writing
Excavation won’t end until the last yellow fever victim is interred.
Or the last victim of arsenic.
Same t’ing! Just a different perspective.
House on Haunted Hill, with Vincent Price.
Skip Amazon. Public domain.
Saint Augustine
House on Haunted Hill, with Vincent Price.
Skip Amazon. Public domain.
Also in public domain: Night of the Living Dead, Horror Express, Jesse James Meets Frankenstein, Nosferatu, and one of my favorites, Carnival of Souls.
Perfect family fare for Halloween. Our kids were very young when we watched it with them, and they loved it.
Naked City. Four seasons of the classic TV series should scare the devil out of you.
I do like Arsenic and Old Lace, but it is a great misfortune that Boris Karloff couldn’t play the role of Jonathan, written for him, in the film rather than Ramond Massey. (In the story, because of plastic surgery, the Brewster brother looks like the actor who played the Mummy and Frankenstein’s monster.) I believe Karloff couldn’t get out of his Broadway contract, playing Jonathan Brewster on stage.
Yeah, Carnival of Souls. I saw that.
Not public domain but great: Macbeth with Orson Welles.
I wrote about Carnival of Souls at my Churches in Movies blog. This October writing about Shape Shifters (mainly, but not only werewolves).